Nicola Sturgeon has revealed plans to hold a second independence referendum today.

Scotland's First Minister made the historic announcement in a speech today from Bute House that the country will once again be asked to decide on the fate of the Union.

Brexit was at the heart of the Dreghorn woman's proposals as she seeks authority to hold IndyRef2 between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.

The First Minister said: “If I ruled out a referendum, I would be deciding – completely unilaterally – that Scotland will follow the UK to a hard Brexit come-what-may, no matter how damaging to our economy and our society it turns out to be.

“That should not be the decision of just one politician – not even the First Minister. It will be decided by the people of Scotland. It will be Scotland’s choice.”

Nicola Sturgeon

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The Scottish people voted No in September 2014 with the people of North Ayrshire also backing the rest of the nation's decision backing a ‘no’ vote.

Over 84 per cent of the electorate turned out to mark a ballot paper almost three years ago with 49,016 (51 per cent) retaining the Union and 47,072 (49 per cent) backing independence in North Ayrshire.

The result meant that on a national level that 55 per cent of Scotland had voted to remain part of the 307-year-old Union and only 47 per cent of the country wanted an independent nation.